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On Tuesday, a Moscow court rejected Brittney Griner’s appeal of her nine-year sentence on drug charges, a completely anticipated result in a trial that U.S. and international officials have called an illegitimate proceeding — as reported by ESPN’s T.J. Quinn.
U.S. officials have said they believe Russia will eventually send the WNBA star home in a prisoner swap but have expressed frustration over what they say is Russia’s failure to respond to the “significant” offer the United States made in June.
Griner’s absence has continued to weigh on all those in the basketball community who know and care about her as each milestone date has passed in 2022.
So much time has passed. Griner has missed the start of the WNBA season, the All-Star Game, the beginning of the playoffs and the FIBA World Championship. She was expected to be part of all of it, just as she had been for the past decade as a star center for the Phoenix Mercury and the U.S. women’s national team.
Instead, the 2013 No. 1 draft pick and NCAA, WNBA and Olympic champion has been detained in Russia since being arrested in February on charges that she brought vape cartridges carrying a small amount of cannabis oil into the country. Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison in August, and her appeal was denied Oct. 25, 250 days since she was arrested.
The United States continues to try to negotiate for her freedom, along with that of fellow American prisoner Paul Whelan. Griner’s fellow professional basketball players, in both the WNBA and NBA, keep saying her name. NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry gave public support to Griner on Oct. 18, her 32nd birthday and the night of the Golden State Warriors’ ring ceremony, telling the crowd, “We hope that she comes home soon, and that everybody’s doing their part to get her home.”
Griner’s ordeal began as she was returning to Russia to finish her overseas season there. When it will end — and how the lengthy detention will affect the rest of her life and career — is…
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Source : espn
